Nobody knows this better than Hillary Clinton. That's why Hillary is running to the right of Bush on this issue, IMO. Figure that Hillary already has the left coast votes, plus the upper midwest and New England states. If she can peel off a couple of southern states over the immigration and border issue (Ariz., N.M., Fla.) she can get to 270 EVs.
Yep she does. She knows that there is a right wing reactionary sucker born every minute to paraphrase PT Barnum.
If you beleive hillary, I have a bridge to sell you to Brooklyn.
She'll have to do more than talk about it. Hillary could begin by introducing a bill to embarrass the GOP establishment. My guess is Democrats and and the pro homeland security Republicans would vote to pass it. President Bush would then be faced with the choice of either vetoing the bill and handing Hillary and the Dems a potent issue or signing it and alienating the Mexicans and his Open Borders Lobby pals.
As I said 8 months ago, she is a serious threat. She knows how to play this card. If Kerry got the percentage he got, Hillary stands a good chance of winning. Part of the motto that will bring a lot of votes to her side will be, "Isn't it about time elect a woman president?" I'd predict she could take 1-2 points just from people who want to cross that threshold.
At the expense of alienating the legals there. Plus, I just dont see people buying into Hillary "immigration" stance. Hillary and her team scanned the right wing blogs, FR, Lucianne, etc and find out what the Red Staters were thinking. They saw how real polls looked, Why do you think she was so quiet during the Kerry Circus? Oh, she made token appearances, as did her husband, but for the most part, she was laisez-faire with Kerry. This is just another in a long line of Hillary trial balloons. I would give up right to vote before I would vote for Hillary on ANY issue..